Stromboli

I’m back!  Sorry for the hiatus, these past few weeks have been crazy with cramming for finals and last minute Christmas shopping.  Now that things have calmed down, I’ll be posting some great recipes every few days again :)

As a “sorry for not posting in forever” and “thanks for coming back to read,” I’m posting my all time favorite recipe.  Stromboli is an appetizer that my family enjoys on Christmas Eve only – a tradition that dates back to my mother’s childhood.  It is loved by all and is probably more anticipated for than the presents under the tree.  This dish has been my responsibility for the past few years, as I started to take an interest in cooking, and it is crucial that I get it right…or I will never hear the end of it!

Because this recipe has been passed down from generations, the exact measurements have been lost in translation.  I’ll do my best to estimate, though.  You may have a little leftover cheese or pepperoni, but I’m sure you can find other uses for it!

Stromboli

Original recipe and photos by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Serving: 1 Stromboli

• 1 package of Pillsbury French Bread dough
• 1/2 pound of sliced provolone cheese
• 1/2 pound of sliced pepperoni

We usually go to the deli and get fresh cold cuts, but we didn't have time this year.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, clear a flat, clean surface to work on.  Open the dough according to package instructions and unroll along the perforations.  Make sure to be very careful with this part, as the dough is pretty thin and pulling or stretching too hard could cause it to tear. 

Once the dough is opened flat, place the slices of cheese on top, covering the entire surface.  Then, do the same with the pepperoni, directly on top of the cheese.

Roll the dough back up very slowly, so that none of the cheese or pepperoni falls out or the dough tears.

Gently press the dough at the ends of the stromboli to make sure that it is completely sealed.  Place on a pan covered with aluminum foil and put into the oven. 

Here’s the tricky part that I mentioned earlier about things being lost in translation…I’m not quite sure how long it takes to cook!  Our family is always so excited for it to come out of the oven, that we are constantly checking on it every five minutes.  We always pull it out once the outside turns a golden brown color.  It seems like an eternity when we are waiting for it, but I’m estimating it probably takes between 30-35 minutes in the oven.

Let it cool for five minutes before slicing.

I wasn’t able to get a picture of the inside of the stromboli before my family ate it all, so here’s a photo of what it should look like:

Photo courtesy of ThePioneerWoman.com

Be sure to set a piece aside for yourself before you serve, because I guarantee it will all be devoured before you can blink!

Everyone flocks



Hiiii Taylor



Norm/Dad/Pop

Leslie - the pickiest eater in the world. If she approves, it MUST be good.

Aunt Kathy!

So here’s my Christmas present to all of you – one of our most beloved family traditions.  Hope it brings as much happiness to your loved ones as it does to mine!

Total time: 45 minutes

P.S. I got some cool new cooking appliances and cookbooks for Christmas, so you can expect some interesting recipes in the future!

Brookies

I recently hosted a large group of my sorority sisters at my house last weekend and wanted to make some snacks for the girls to munch on.  The usual go-to desserts of brownies, cookies, or rice krispie treats popped into my head.  Boring.  Then I remembered an e-mail I had received about a week ago from a lifestyle website called Daily Candy.  The site features news and tips on fashion, beauty, deals, culture, food and drink, home and garden, travel, and gifts.  It is divided by city, so readers can choose the city that is closest to them to find out the latest trends in their area. 

Of course, I am on the mailing list to receive the latest lifestyle tips for readers in the New York City area.  I’m used to reading up on the latest fashion trends, or the grand opening of restaurants and night clubs on the Upper East Side, but last week I received a recipe for Brookies – a “split personality cookie,” as the e-mail described, that combines the best of a brownie and a cookie!  It is a recipe from the new cookbook Clinton Street Baking Company Cookbook, that includes the moist, fudginess of a brownie and the shape and crunch of a chocolate chip cookie.  It sounded delicious and perfect for my occasion.  

Brownies and cookies are classics that everyone loves, but are often overdone.  Combine the two, however, and you have a fresh new twist on old favorites!

Brookies

Adapted recipe and photos by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Original recipe by Clinton Street Baking Company

Makes 18-20 Brookies

• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cups light brown sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter, oil, and 1 cup of the chocolate chips in the microwave together for about 2.5 – 3 minutes on high heat, stirring at 1-minute intervals.

In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.  Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

In another bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until evenly combined.  Add the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and mix.

Pour this batter into a shallow pan (such as a pie plate) and place in the freezer for 6-8 minutes.

As this is freezing, spray two cookie sheets with nonstick spray.  Once the batter has set and slightly hardened, take it out of the freezer.  Take tablespoon-sized balls of batter out of the pan and place them on the cookie sheet.  Place the brookies into the oven for 11-12 minutes, until the tops look dry and slightly cracked. 

Take out of the oven and let sit for five minutes before placing on a cooling rack.  Let cool for another five minutes before enjoying!

These were a HUGE hit with everyone.  The outside was slightly crispy and the inside was warm and gooey, like a fudgey brownie.  They were devoured in less than ten minutes.

So, if you ever find yourself stressed about whether to make brownies or cookies for an occasion, bake sale, or lazy Saturday treat, you can now follow this recipe instead and enjoy both in one.  You're welcome.

Total time: 25 minutes

Tortilla-Crusted Broccoli and Sausage Quiche

Quiche is one of my favorite foods.  Ever.  Eggs, cheese, and any kind of savory addition you would like to throw into a buttery, flaky crust…what could be better?  I’ve wanted to try an easy quiche recipe for a while now, and was inspired when I saw this version on Carrots 'N' Cake. The cost and calories were cut down by making the crust out of tortillas, which I was skeptical about, since the crust is always my favorite part.  However, I’m open to trying new things and I always have tortillas on hand, so I decided to give it a shot.

I’m really glad I did, because it came out great!  I changed the recipe a little bit to cater to what I had in my fridge, such as substituting cheddar for feta.  I also substituted sausage for mushrooms, because mushrooms are probably the one food (fungus, really) that I will never learn to love.  Everything was delicious and all the ingredients worked great together.  Surprisingly, the tortilla crust was also really tasty.  It is a perfect solution for when you want to make a quiche without leaving the house, because who has quiche crust lying around in their fridge?  I will admit, however, that although it is an acceptable alternative, the tortilla can’t really compare to the real thing.  If you really want to wow your guests (or splurge on yourself), I would suggest buying the real crust.  Tortillas will work just fine for the penny-pinching college kid, though.

Tortilla-Crusted Broccoli and Sausage Quiche

Adapted recipe and photos by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Original recipe by Carrots 'N' Cake

Serves: 7-8

• 4 tortillas
• 1 cup broccoli
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 sausage, removed from casing
• ½ cup cheddar cheese (add more if you like it extra cheesy)
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove the casing from the sausage and form into small balls with your hands.  Place the sausage in the skillet and toss them around so that they cook evenly. 

Steam the broccoli in the microwave for about a minute.  Chop the onion as this is cooking.  Add the broccoli and the onions to the skillet with the sausage and let the mixture sit until the sausage is completely cooked.

As this cooks, overlap the tortillas in a pie plate or deep dish to make a crust.

Pour the sausage, onions, and broccoli into the crust, and top with cheddar cheese.  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and the yogurt, then season with salt and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture into the crust.

Place in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.  The quiche should be firm and slightly golden brown when it is finished.  Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

The tortilla crust burnt and folded over a little at the tops, so try to place the tortillas closer to the middle so that there is not too much exposed at the top.

That one slice was the only piece out of the whole quiche that I had.  As soon as my housemates and friends got word that it was in the fridge, it was devoured in a couple of hours. 

One of my good friends had never even had quiche before, so I was afraid that I would turn him away from quiche forever if he didn’t like it.  But, it turned out that there was no need to worry because he ended up loving it.  He does eat pretty much anything, but I like to think that it was my wonderful cooking that turned him on to quiche :)

This is another great make ahead recipe that you can attempt on the weekends and save for the rest of the week.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Total time: 45 minutes

Lunch at the Culinary Institute of America

I am excited to announce that I have scratched ONE thing off of my senior bucket list so far – lunch at the Culinary Institute of America.  The Culinary is about four minutes down the road from my campus, yet I never got around to eating in one of their five star restaurants.  This is mostly because reservations book up weeks in advance and the menu is a little pricey, as you can imagine.  However, my parents have been wanting to go every fall for the past three years, as the Hudson River Valley is gorgeous this time of year. 

There are four restaurants: American Bounty, Caterina de’ Medici (Italian), Escoffier (French), and St. Andrew’s Café.  We ate at the American Bounty because it happened to be the only one opened on Saturdays.  The menus change with each season, so ours was full of pumpkin and cranberry flavors.

I started with a bowl of butternut soup with goat cheese and pecans…YUM.  I ate around the goat cheese because I’m not a big fan, but everything else was delicious.  Everyone in my family chose a different entrée, because everything looked too good and we couldn’t decide!  We shared grilled apple and mustard glazed pork chops, sautéed hanger steak, sautéed chicken breast, and roasted lamb chops.  Everything was outstanding and the presentation was remarkable.  I felt like I was a judge on Top Chef!

For dessert, we shared the special of the day: pumpkin cheesecake with raspberry sorbet on the side, and hazelnut ice cream with holiday cookies.  Both were outstanding.

My favorite part of the meal, however, would have to be the warm apple cider.  They had three different flavors of black currant, white peach, and raspberry.  My suggestion – go with the white peach.  I finished it before my entrée came out, it was that good!

Not only was the food incredible, but the ambiance was like nothing I had ever seen before.  Attire is business casual and all the tables and place settings were beautifully arranged.  In the front of the restaurant is a large glass window which allows the diners to watch the chefs in the kitchen preparing their meals.  Talk about pressure on the cooks!

American Bounty Restaurant

We left the restaurant so stuffed that I could barely make the walk to the car.  Everything was delicious and it was a great experience, but I would definitely be prepared to enter a food coma for the rest of the day.  They don't skimp on the butter or strong spices, so if you aren’t used to eating heavy food, like me, I would suggest only ordering one course.

Again, I would definitely recommend dining at any of the CIA restaurants on a special occasion.  It was a great experience, especially during the fall when the view of the Hudson River from the CIA campus is glowing from the orange and yellow leaves. 

If you are worried about the cost, though, and don’t have Mom or Dad stopping by to foot the bill, don't worry.  The Apple Pie Bakery Café is located in the main CIA building and serves yummy pastries, desserts, and café cuisine, without reservations.  The prices are affordable – much like any other café around town, but the quality is outstanding, naturally.  We passed the café on our way out, and the cupcakes on display looked so good that I was almost hungry again.  Almost.

Marist College seniors - add this to your bucket list asap.  Make your reservations today at http://www.ciachef.edu/restaurants/default.asp or stop in to the Apple Pie Bakery Café anytime for a sweet treat!

Apple Pie Sundaes

Is that not the perfect representation of fall?!  It’s like autumn in a bowl!  It tasted just as good as it looks too!  Think of an apple pie a la mode, without the crust and with tons of whipped cream and apple pie spice.  I loved how the warm apples softened the cold vanilla ice cream so it was slightly melted.  My mouth is watering as I type this…

I found the recipe for the warm apples from Bobby Flay’s Caramel Apple Cheesecake recipe, which looks delicious, but is a little too advanced for this blog, and my kitchen, so I decided to use the warm apples in a different way – over ice cream!  I halved the recipe and omitted the vanilla bean and the apple brandy, because I didn’t have them handy and figured most other college kids wouldn’t either.  I used a teaspoon of vanilla extract as a substitute for the vanilla bean.

Apple Pie Sundae

Adapted recipe and photos by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Original recipe for the cooked apples by Bobby Flay

Serves: 7-8

• 3 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 cups apple juice
• 1/8 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cold butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the apple juice, sugar, and vanilla extract in a sauté pan over high heat and cook until slightly thickened.  Stir in the butter until melted.  Add the apples to the mixture and stir occasionally. 

Once they are lightly caramelized and soft, take the pan off of the heat and let sit for a few minutes.  Pour over a scoop of vanilla ice cream and add whipped cream and apple pie spice for garnish.  Enjoy!



Eat it fast before it melts!

I made this for our family Thanksgiving dinner and it was the perfect festive ending to the holiday meal.  Make them next time you have company or get together with friends.  There’s no shame in making one for yourself though…I may do that right now :)

Total time: 20 minutes

Thanksgiving - College Style

Apartment 5C minus Trisha and Sydney. Kerry is so photogenic :)

Family dinner was supersized this Sunday, as we had our own mock Thanksgiving to get into the holiday spirit before the upcoming break.  Everyone contributed to our makeshift meal by preparing a dish that they traditionally eat with their own families every Thanksgiving.  We had bruschetta as an appetizer, then a broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and rotisserie chickens (because no one knew how to cook a turkey) as the main course.  I was in charge of dessert – apple pie sundaes!  We enjoyed these while watching an Elf marathon on TBS all night.

Here are some pictures of our night, and hopefully they will inspire you to get together with your housemates or friends more often for dinner.  Everyone has busy schedules during the week, so it’s really great to sit down to a nice meal all together, especially during the holiday season.  Find any occasion to celebrate and make a dinner party of it!

Bruschetta with mozzarella - Maddie's contribution

Casseroles, mashed potatoes, and biscuits



Rotisserie chicken - the clueless college student's solution to Thanksgiving dinner



Ravenous



Apple pie sundae mmmm

Check back soon for the apple pie sundae recipe!

Southwestern Chicken Wrap

I was at the supermarket the other day and found myself wandering down the chips aisle.  I’m usually on a tight schedule, so I tend to get into a routine of grabbing the same things on the shelves.  I went to reach for my favorite honey wheat pretzels when ONE jar of salsa caught the corner of my eye.  It was THE salsa that I had been looking for all semester!  It was meant to be, I’m convinced.  I had tried it once at my cousin's house and fell in love, but have been unable to find it ever since.  This amazing creation is a corn and black bean red pepper salsa, and it is the best thing I have ever dipped a chip in. 

Of course, it was ridiculously expensive, as most of the best things in life are.  It was $5.99…waaay more than I was willing to spend on a jar of salsa.  On top of that, I would have to buy chips to go with the salsa.  The thought of passing it up was heartbreaking, so I resolved to buy the salsa but skip on the chips…I could find another use for the tasty dip!  I was forced to be creative, so I came up with a southwestern wrap in which the salsa would be the star of the show!

You can try this with any kind of salsa, but I would recommend the Desert Pepper Trading Company Corn Black Bean Red Pepper Salsa.  It really makes the dish!

Southwestern Chicken Wrap

Original recipe and photos by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Serves 1

• About 3 tbsp salsa
• ½ can chicken breast (yes, they sell other things in cans besides tuna and sardines)
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese (add more if you want!)
• 1 tortilla
• splash of lime juice to bring out the flavors in the salsa (optional)

Woops, forgot the tortilla!

Mix the salsa with the chicken in a small bowl.  Add more if you prefer.

Place the mixture in the microwave for 1 minute, in 30 second intervals.  Place on the tortilla and top with cheese.

Put the tortilla in the microwave for another 30 seconds, or until the cheese is melted.  Fold the tortilla by folding the ends in first and then rolling the rest accordingly, as show in the picture below.

Cut in half and enjoy!

I love this wrap – it was super easy and full of flavor.  It tasted really authentic, like I was at a real Mexican restaurant!  And the best part is, you don’t have to slave over cooking the corn, tomatoes and beans yourself…it’s all prepared in the salsa!

Total time: 10 minutes 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

As the fall season is slowly starting to fade into winter (which is hard to believe here in Poughkeepsie, as the weather is almost 60 degrees today), I decided to make one more seasonal recipe with a can of pumpkin puree and white chocolate chips that I had leftover from experimenting for the Today Show contest.  Muffins are the one breakfast food that I had yet to prepare for my morning capping class, so I decided to make pumpkin muffins with a little extra sweetness from the white chocolate chips.  They came out delicious…almost too delicious to eat for breakfast!  Everyone in class loved them and I guarantee you will too!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted recipe and photos by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Original recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

Makes 12 muffins

• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.  You could also use paper muffin liners, if you prefer.

Mix all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and baking powder) in a bowl.

In a larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients (melted butter, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract).  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, making sure to mix thoroughly as you go.  Once the dry and the wet ingredients are completely combined, fold the white chocolate chips into the batter.

Fill the muffin cups with batter so that they are ¾ of the way full.  The original recipe called for 15-17 minutes in the oven, but I found that they needed to cook for at least 20 minutes.  Test them yourself by placing a toothpick into the center of a muffin.  If it comes out clean, they are done!

Let the muffins sit in the tin for at least ten minutes before taking them out and letting them cool for an additional 5 minutes on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

These will definately satisfy your hunger and your chocolate cravings, but if you have a ridiculous sweet tooth that never seems to be completely satisfied, like me, try it with some applesauce, whipped cream, and cinnamon!



Yesterday's breakfast



Make them quick before the pumpkin season is over!

Total time: 40 minutes